Knowing that big power means nothing without the ability to get it to the pavement, Jose set his sights on fortifying the suspension. He started with full-length subframe connectors from Maximum Motorsports. He quickly added Maximum's Heavy Duty torque arm and Panhard bar assembly, as well as its lower control arms. Coilover shocks and struts sit fore and aft, and the factory K-member has given way to a QA1 replacement. Out back, the rearend was upgraded with 31-spline Moser axles, 3.73 gears, an Eaton posi, and an LPW differential cover.
Prior to dropping in the engine, Jose turned to his uncle, Julio Alvarado, to paint the engine bay. After some prep, the underhood was coated with a few coats of PPG Sonic Blue. By this time, Fernando had left his position at the Ford dealer and opened his own shop-Fast Fern's Performance, which handled the rest of the build.
Once the powertrain and suspension were complete, Jose turned his attention to the rolling stock. A one-off set of True Forged wheels wrapped in Nitto NT05 rubber sit in all four corners. The staggered 17- and 18-inch wheels give this Cobra a super-aggressive stance. With the project nearing completion, the rest of the car was treated to four coats of PPG Sonic Blue with an equal amount of clearcoat.
When it came time to tackle the calibration, Jose turned to Adam Montague at ST Motorsports in San Bernardino, California. When the tuning was completed, Jose's Four-Valve laid down 580 rwhp and 540 lb-ft of torque. These power numbers equated to some serious quarter-miles times. Jose's first trip to the track netted him a 10.98- second pass, coasting across the stripe at only 119 mph.
By the time this hits newsstands, Jose's '99 Cobra will be well on its way to the next chapter in its high-performance life. Jose tells us the car now has a 10-point cage, no-frills race interior, and a new Kenne Bell supercharger, which will make this Cobra capable of low 9-second quarter-mile numbers.
Even though its street use may have come to an end for now, Jose's '99 Cobra is a dream come true!
My heart was broken when I sold my first Mustang.